Statistics

4x4 Sales

Air travel

The EU swept away barriers to free competition in the air transport market in the 1980s and '90s, paving the way for budget airlines. Between 1992 and 2000 cheap-end prices fell 40%. These figures show numbers of terminal passengers at UK airports. Source: DfT

CD Sales

CD album sales are up 40% over the decade. Industry group the BPI attributes this to investment in new talent and supermarkets becoming major CD retailers. Wide internet availability is another factor. Some 75% of CDs now cost under £10. Source: BPI/OUKCC

Emigration

In 2005 380,000 people emigrated from the UK for a year or more. Australia, Spain and France were the most popular destinations. Net migration (difference between immigration and emigration) was 185,000, or 500 extra people a day in the UK. Source: ONS

Female life expectancy at 65

Hospital waiting times

Since warning in 1997 that voters had "24 hours to save the NHS", Tony Blair has consistently hailed cuts in hospital waiting times as a major success story. The graph shows average waits for main ops, from decision to admit to admission day. Source: HES

House prices

Following the early 1990s slump, house prices in the UK began to rise dramatically from the middle of the decade, some areas recording rises of around 40% per year. The average home in the UK now costs around £172,000. Source: Nationwide

Household disposable income

Gross disposable household income per head has risen steadily since 1997, with the largest increases recorded in London and the Home Counties. Income rose least in west Wales, Northern Ireland and Northumberland/Tyne and Wear. Source: ONS

Immigration

High immigration into the UK began in the late 1990s. Latest figures suggest 565,000 long-term migrants arrived in the UK in 2005. Of these, 80,000 were from central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004. More than 70% were Polish. Source: ONS

Male life expectancy at 65

Life expectancy at age 65 in the UK has reached its highest level ever for both men and women. In 2005, men aged 65 could expect to live a further 16.6 years if mortality rates remained the same as they were in 2003-05. Source: ONS

Mean UK temperature

Global warming in UK press

Mentions of the phrase in the BBC's electronic cuttings archive, Neon, reflect how climate change has moved up the political agenda. Last autumn Tony Blair acknowledged: "This disaster is not set to happen in some science fiction future... but in our lifetime."

UK Mobile phone subscriptions

Popularity of mobile phones surged with the launch of smaller, more reliable second-generation handsets with improved network coverage. In 2000 46,000 people a day signed up to networks, and 5.1m phones were bought that Christmas. Source: Ofcom/MOA

MP3 Player Sales

Huge portable digital-music-player sales reflect the cultural shift in listening habits. MP3 grew in the late 1990s and really took off with the launch of Apple's iPod in 2002, elevating players from geek gadget to status symbol. Source: GFK

Personal debt

These figures show total monthly net unsecured lending to individuals in the UK. A rise in insolvencies in recent years has prompted consumer groups to warn that many people are taking on unsustainable levels of borrowing. Source: Credit Action

Secondary school class sizes

Unemployment

In the 1980s the issue of unemployment regularly came near the top of polls of what voters were most concerned about. By 2007 it had fallen right out of the top 10 despite figures showing a slight rise in jobless people in the past two years. Source: ILO

This feature allows comparison of relevant sets of statistics, but this is not supposed to imply there is a causal link between them. Also please note that the scale of each graph is different, therefore comparisons can only be made between general trends, not on a like for like basis.